“Welcome, Mr Adamos,” said Madame Where. We were standing in a track field, with Beatrice, Ahmed and-and Maria standing opposite of us. She shot me a dirty look and, while I did my best to ignore her, I couldn’t help but fidget slightly and once again run until I couldn’t any more. “I’m told you are acquainted with this group.”

I nodded. “I know them.”

“It’s been a long time, Alexander,” Beatrice bowed. She was smiling. Similar to Ivan, she seemed to have a constant smile on her face. I just realised that both her eyes and hair were orange, the same shade as the one that ran through her arms.

“Now,” said Madame Where, turning to Beatrice, “since Mr Ibrahim has no powers of his own, he has agreed to assist me with the training of Miss Papadopoulou since we have determined that further physical training is also needed. You will use my notes and your own intuition to further better him.”

We all nodded at her. Madame Where led Ahmed and Maria off to the other side of the track–I’d be lying if I said that my whole body didn’t unclench at that–while Beatrice turned over to me.

“Now’s when we get serious,” she said before an intense look overtook her smiling face. “Gloves off, caro.”

I sighed. I expected that. So I took them off, and put them in my pocket. I flexed my fingers and looked back at her. Suddenly, the lines in her arms glowed, and she rushed at me. I reacted on instinct and dodged, barely dodging her attack.

Her smile now turned into a smirk and she came at me again. “You hesitate.” This time she grabbed me. The lines glowed once more and she threw me a few metres away. “I’m holding back. Still, you hesitate and don’t touch me. My arms are your main threat. You should have noticed that by now. They’re robotic. Replaceable. Hit. Me.”

I got up, rushing at her. Who did she think she was? She dodged my attack. She was playing with me. I stepped back. I didn’t have anything to use my powers on here. And I couldn’t go off on the ground, people used this and it wasn’t a high tech gym.

I rushed at her again. She sidestepped my attack..

“Porca miseria,” she sighed, although the smirk was still on her face. “You’re not comfortable with being on the offensive. Your villains, your girlfriend, your friends. They’re always attacking you. But you can attack too. I know you have a way. Show me. Hit. Me.”

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“Καριόλα!” I went at her again, and she dodged. Damnit. I’d show her. Her face would-no, no, no. Relax. I had to relax. She wasn’t attacking. I crouched. I rushed at her, but this time I went as low as I could. She sidestepped me again. She went to the right.

Only this time, I had her. I touched the ground with my right hand, bringing down a good portion of it, although I did manage to hold back. It was enough to bring her down and into a small crater that had formed.

I jumped in after her and attacked her before she had her bearings. A single touch, that was all I needed. Still she managed to grab both my arms before I did anything. Without even thinking about it, I headbutted her, hitting her nose with my forehead.

She shrieked, but it was enough to disorient her again. I grabbed her left arm with every finger but my thumb. “I win.” I was breathing heavily, but so was she.

And her smirk had gone back to a smile. We just stood there for a good while. “You can let me go now, caro.”

Flustered, I did as she told me. She rubbed her nose. She complimented my headbutt, although she did warn me that if I had broken her nose she would…do something that she said in Italian.

I didn’t understand it, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

“You’re not bad,” she said, looking down at the damage I had caused. “Not bad at all. But your power is not under your full control yet. Even less than normal students. Which is understandable.”

“Understandable how?” I asked her. She did mention our stories being similar. “I’m sorry but I have to ask. With Maria being here, as well as you and Ahmed-”

“I crippled my mother.”

“What?” To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Her smile suddenly disappeared from her face. She brought up her arms. “The energy within me is very strong.” She touched the ground. It started glowing orange, until it eventually became black and a burned smell dominated the area.

“I-I’m sorry,” I said, still feeling at a loss for words. What I did–what I had endured–suddenly felt a lot less heavy. To do something like that to your own mother, and I knew she didn’t mean to do it. I recognized the look in her face. I saw it in the mirror more than I’d like.

“I have four siblings,” she said solemnly. “They all left with my dad. Mom can’t even leave the hospital. There’s more to my story, but I won’t bore you with it. I won’t deny that I pressed Maria for details.

“All I know is that when I heard what happened, I wanted to help you–both of you–mend your relationship. I don’t care if you become friends, lovers, whatever. I only want to help you get unstuck.”

I looked down. She was…nice. And I couldn’t deny that I felt a sort of comfort in her words. But it also made me feel a bit empty inside.

Here she was, someone that had gone through even more than I had but she persevered, pushing through what happened and making it to Atlantis. All the while I had resigned myself to failure until I had to basically be pushed out of it. Suddenly I was filled with new determination. I looked over in the direction of the others.

“We don’t have a good relationship,” I said, looking back at Beatrice. “After all these years, I don’t know if I can do what you did.”

She smiled once again. “Say what you must. Clear your conscience. That’s all you can do.”

I nodded at her and we went back to training.